ANKARA: The gunman who shot the Russian ambassador to Turkey in an attack at an art gallery on Monday was an off-duty police officer who worked in the Turkish capital, two security sources said.
Russia’s foreign ministry earlier confirmed that the ambassador, Andrey Karlov, had died in the attack. Turkish state media earlier reported that the gunman had been “neutralised” following the attack.

SYRIA TALKS WILL GO ON
A report from Moscow said talks about the future of Syria involving Russia, Iran and Turkey will go ahead on Tuesday despite the murder of the Russian ambassador to Ankara, the Interfax news agency cited Leonid Slutsky, a senior parliamentarian, as saying.
The foreign and defence ministers of Russia, Iran and Turkey are due to discuss the future of Syria in Moscow on Tuesday. Slutsky is chairman of the State Duma or lower house of parliament’s international affairs committee.

UN CONDEMNS KILLING
The United Nations condemned an attack on the Russian ambassador to Ankara. “We condemn the gun attack on the Russian ambassador to Turkey. There can be no justification for an attack on a diplomat or an ambassador,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. “We hope that the perpetrator will be brought to justice.”
US FLAYS KILLING
The United States moved quickly on Monday to condemn a gun attack in Ankara that left the Russian ambassador dead. The reaction which came before the ambassador was declared dead, said: “We condemn this act of violence, whatever its source. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said.
The US spokesman did not suggest who might have been behind the attack, which witnesses said was carried out by a gunman demanding “revenge” for Aleppo.
Russian forces were instrumental in helping government troops recapture the city of Aleppo from rebel forces in Turkey’s neighbour Syria last week.
Washington has previously warned Moscow that its support for Bashar al Assad’s Syrian regime risks radicalising moderate rebels and boosting support for extremists. — Agencies